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It might be hard to conceptualize nowadays but homes were selling for about $6,500 when Helmut Hinteregger was putting the building blocks in place for a new career.

The Red Seal carpenter, who worked for residential and commercial contractors during his apprenticeship, wasn’t looking for a game-changing concept. Rather, it was about finding a way to provide for his family.

Staying the course: Small and steady, Concept Homes celebrates 50th anniversaryBack to video

When Hinteregger was 26 years old — he is now 75 — he started Concept Homes, which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. His expertise and a notion to stay small would steer the course for the future.

“It’s easier to turn a small ship around in rough waters than a big one,” said Hinteregger. “We always work within our means and don’t get in over our heads.”

Those humble thoughts would guide Concept Homes successfully through its first 50 years. The company, which started with Hinteregger and his wife Helen, and now includes sons Rick and Dave as hands-on executives, is just a bit larger in its 50th anniversary year at nine employees.

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“We’ve stayed the course,” said Helmut. “If it’s not broken, why would you need to fix it?”

(From left) Rick, Dave, Helen and Helmut Hinteregger are seen in one of Concept Homes’ recent showhomes. /Supplied

Proof of concept

Today people talk about tiny homes, but 50 years ago tiny crews worked hard to keep up as Concept constructed new homes. The company would build about 10 to 15 homes a year in those days.

“Dad did everything, including the sales and taking out the garbage,” said Dave, now Concept’s vice president.

Helen, meanwhile, would sweep and clean houses. She would also start doing Concept’s books, and still does that in her role as office manager. Eventually, Rick and Dave would do much more than just help out at job sites — they began by working in crawl spaces in their early teenage years, doing insulation work, and little jobs around the houses — taking on larger roles during the 1980s. But one constant remained: a small family business looking out for the customer’s best interest.

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“It all goes back to the Austrian theory of economics,” explains Helmut. “Large entities are volatile. Many small units are workable, and I’ve adopted that. It’s not a North American philosophy and goes against the grain of big growth.”

That philosophy has seen Concept handle downturns, as well as booming economies, in what Dave notes is a very volatile industry.

“Nowadays we build 25 to 30 homes a year,” said Dave. “It’s all about keeping everything manageable and providing a higher level of service.”

Concept Homes celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2019, built on the same small-volume, hands-on approach that founder Helmut Hinteregger instituted in 1969. /Supplied

Open concept

It may indeed be a small world after all when it comes to Concept’s game plan, but it’s also about a concept of openness.

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“It was always like a big extended family and it still is today,” said Rick, Concept’s president. “The important thing is to build relationships, as it translates into a quality product.”

Those include lengthy, ongoing associations with their customers. “We’ve built for a lot of families where we built their second and third homes as their needs changed,” said Rick. “Dad always reminded us that people work with us and not for us, and that we all better be working together and with the customers’ best interest in mind as they are entrusting us with the single most important purchase of their lives.”

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Longtime Concept employee Margot Paull, Concept’s builder representative, joined the company in 1999 and said she’s seen the Hintereggers dedication to both their customers and Concept’s trades, stating that every home is a new journey where new friends are made.

“Helmut, Helen, Rick and Dave are like my second family,” said Paull. “Many times when people have been with a company for a long time, they say they had bumps along the way. This has never been the case for me.”

Concept Homes has been a builder and supplier for the STARS Lottery since 2009, establishing a partnership that benefits both the air ambulance service. /Supplied

Grasping the concept

For more than a decade, Concept Homes has played a starring role when it comes to supporting the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society, better known by its STARS acronym.

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Since 2009, Concept has been the builder and supplier of the Edmonton prize home for the STARS Lottery.

“When we heard STARS was looking for a lottery home builder we immediately knew it was something we wanted to do,” said Dave. “Not for brand recognition but because it allowed us to do what we do best so we can help STARS do what they do. Our shared philosophies of truly helping people was a perfect fit, and it continues to inspire us at each year’s launch when we see and hear the stories of the lives that STARS has helped saved. It’s so far-reaching as it is not only the patients that benefit but their family, friends, and loved ones whose lives are touched and enhanced.”

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Concept also hosts a charitable golf tournament. In 13 years, the company has raised almost $300,000 for charity, switching up the charity every other year in order to help out a larger number of worthy causes.

“Our family and company has been so fortunate and blessed to work in a wonderful industry with so many great people,” said Rick. “Coming in contact with many individuals and families means we see and hear a lot about the various struggles that people go through. Whether it’s financial or health-related, everyone is touched or knows someone affected. We wanted to help make a difference along the way. It’s the reason why we hold a successful annual golf tournament, donating proceeds to help a variety of charities directly.”

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About Concept Homes

Fifty years after Helmut Hinteregger formed the company, Concept Homes Master Builder remains a family business, dedicated to building high-quality, affordable homes. Concept builds in the greater Edmonton region and is currently building homes in The Village at Griesbach and Windermere in Edmonton proper, as well as Josephburg and Sturgeon County. Fiftieth anniversary celebrations are in the works but details have not yet been finalized.

The Hinteregger Philosophy

“Dad has been self-employed for most of his life. The time he spent working for someone else was very short, as he is a very disciplined and dedicated person who knew that he had the skills and determination to do better. He had a lot to offer, and that was when he know that he would follow the route of a true entrepreneur, a respected businessperson, and later a politician (serving as a councillor, and as the mayor of Sturgeon County). Whatever he did he always had the best interest of others in mind, it was never just about him.” – Dave Hinteregger

“Mom has a personal connection with our trades, suppliers and customers; so much so that she regularly gets cards and pictures of their children along the years. She keeps them all, and it’s not unusual to sit in our lunchroom and hear her say, ‘you know who has a birthday today?’ She has a keen memory for remembering and is a very caring and loving person.” – Rick Hinteregger

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